tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36767474471223781292024-03-13T05:13:22.383-04:00THE FILM LOCKERRyan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-81121473184765868602011-08-29T09:30:00.002-04:002011-08-29T09:45:12.225-04:00Series One Final ScoreboardAll apologies for the radio silence as we wrapped up the show dear listeners. I dare say that when we set out to map our course for the first summer of joint podcasting, neither Simon nor I factored in details like vacations or website redesigns.
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<br />But you have stuck with us, and for that we thank you. We will both be cross-posting material to this space as the months go on, especially since many of the directors we mentioned in Series One have films on the horizon ("Paging Mr. Fincher!").
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<br />But for the matter at hand, the final scoreboard, which includes the results from rounds eleven and twelve. Here's how it all shook down...
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<br /><b><i>Winner! Rachel Thuro 203 (+44)</i></b>
<br />Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 156 (+27)
<br />Courtney Small 90 (+15)
<br />Andrew Buckle 79 (+0)
<br />Duke 32 (0)
<br />Alison 28 (0)
<br />Shane McNeil 18 (0)
<br />Joel Burman 15 (0)
<br />Jess Rogers 4 (0)
<br />Andrew Robinson 3 (0)
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<br />Congratulations Rachel on dominating the trivia during Series One!
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<br />As mentioned during the final moments of Episode Twelve we know for certain that we want to do a Series Two, we just aren't completely set on when, so please keep an eye either on this space, or our respective blogs for details.
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<br />We're also open to suggestions on which directors we should cover, so if you want to make a request, email it in and we'll take it under advisement.
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<br />Last but not least, please consider one of two small favours now that series one is complete. Please think about spreading the word, since series one's seven hour runtime makes for pretty decent listening to a newcomer over the course of a week or two. Likewise, please consider dropping a rating and/or comment on iTunes which might get us a slightly higher profile.
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<br />For now though, thanks so much for making Series One a success - you'll be hearing from us again soon.
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<br />sincerely,
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<br />Simon & HatterRyan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-88861493089603674922011-08-20T15:16:00.004-04:002011-08-20T15:25:55.879-04:00The Film Locker #12: Roman PolanskiApologies for a another week with no content, but between Simon's French adventures, and my work launching a new website, it was a bad choice of week to close up shop on Series One.
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<br />However, I'm happy to report that we're signing off with a high note since episode 12 brought about some of the best conversation Simon and I have had all summer long. So without further ado, I give you the Series One Finale - The Roman Polanski episode with feature conversation on his 1975 classic, CHINATOWN.
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<br />If you've come with us this far, and enjoyed what we've offered up this summer, perhaps you'd be so kind as to spread the word. The Film Locker was designed as a capsule, so rather than finding out about a podcast and realizing that there are dozens or hundreds of back episodes to dig through, that a new listener could have something maleable...like being handed a twelve-episode HBO series on dvd.
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<br />(Not that we fancy ourselves akin to The Sopranos...though in our more deluded moments, we <i>do</i> tangent into Wire-like delusions of grandeur).
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<br />One last thing, this show has gone far better than we thought it might (we swore we'd have only two listeners)...so to everybody who gave us six minutes or six hours, thank you and check back now and then for news on series two.
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<br />As usual, it is already up on <a href="itpc://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">itunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and can be found easily on </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podomatic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSS feed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.0 RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on </span><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yahoo</span></a>
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<br /><a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Large Association of Movie Blogs" border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/dyjafi/bt_proud_g.jpg" /></span></a></div>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-60097864805432386962011-08-13T15:00:00.000-04:002011-08-13T15:00:03.791-04:00The Film Locker #11: Guillermo del ToroA few apologies before getting to episode eleven. First and foremost for its late arrival, and then of course for the slight hiss that can be heard when Hatter is talking.
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<br />We should have everything sorted out for the final spin next week...but for now, here's the penultimate talk focusing on Guillermo del Toro and his masterpiece, PAN'S LABYRINTH
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<br />As usual, it is already up on <a href="itpc://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">itunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and can be found easily on </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podomatic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSS feed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.0 RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on </span><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yahoo</span></a>
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<br /><a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Large Association of Movie Blogs" border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/dyjafi/bt_proud_g.jpg" /></span></a></div>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-68905488762787027712011-08-12T09:07:00.003-04:002011-08-15T16:57:55.842-04:00(Belated) Episode 10 Scoreboard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpx4P2qRw52kqEcmxBBI25edouv09CJB74H7sc5UeCpIYGt9yc00jxmeGwK5qG9O1KQBZLtmLXLBaFmkvyikvH87ecSkS9180_6N6TTXZRW3z66x4ecdkr6R61lCW4p-hNfpdZhisdxo/s1600/tiger.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpx4P2qRw52kqEcmxBBI25edouv09CJB74H7sc5UeCpIYGt9yc00jxmeGwK5qG9O1KQBZLtmLXLBaFmkvyikvH87ecSkS9180_6N6TTXZRW3z66x4ecdkr6R61lCW4p-hNfpdZhisdxo/s400/tiger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641189613120838130" /></a>
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<br />Sorry for the late report on this round folks...all I can say is that when your computer goes into the shop all hell can break loose.
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<br />Things still really aren't over, but at this late stage it's safe to say that it's a two horse race. Simon and I both want to thank everyone who participated in the trivia for Series One. If it wasn't for you - we'd swear we were recording these for ourselves!
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<br />Here are the results after nine rounds, with everyone's point pickup for this episode listed in parenthesis...
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<br />Rachel Thuro 159 (+24)
<br />Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 129 (+10)
<br />Andrew Buckle 79 (+0)
<br />Courtney Small 75 (+15)
<br />Duke 32 (0)
<br />Alison 28 (0)
<br />Shane McNeil 18 (0)
<br />Joel Burman 15 (0)
<br />Jess Rogers 4 (0)
<br />Andrew Robinson 3 (0)
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<br />Hatter's Questions:
<br />BROKEBACK and TRAFFIC are two of the very few films to get Best Director but <u>not</u> Best Picture.
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<br />Lee is a die-hard fan of The Calgary Flames.
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<br />Lee felt Anne Hathaway would be a good fit to play Jane Austen in BECOMING JANE.
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<br />Simon's Questions:
<br />Bergman's VIRGIN SPRING was influential in Lee becoming a filmmaker.
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<br />Lee has headed up the jury of the Venice Film Festival.
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<br />Lee has become a naturalized citizen of The U.S.A.
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<br /><i>Entries for Trivia close at noon EST on the Friday after the show; please email all answers to filmlocker@hotmail.com. The prize dvd/blu-ray can be worth a maximum $30 USD on Amazon.com </i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-61966493270505155732011-08-12T08:47:00.006-04:002011-08-12T08:58:29.697-04:00Further On Up the Road (Looking Towards Episode 11)Apologies for the lack of content this week folks. You see, it turns out neithe Simon nor I have much Ang Lee material in our back pages. Ordinarily, this discovery would have sparked one or both of us to write something new...but unfortunately, we both found ourselves otherwise occupied over the last seven.
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<br />Thus, my one post on one of the most underseen Ang Lee films will have to do.
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<br />The scoreboard is coming this afternoon, but for now on with the show! We have two left before we close up shop on series one, and in both cases they centre on directors that spawn great conversation. Here's a clue for the penultimate choice...
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmj3C9IKhPRMjALOgzOYTbs1PirzNmHKee8kApw8U2LWMTCcu50swGBYKnM2-b4c4z4wyC_dQsR4I27WwCzQbMItHMcRyVKmiePNvnZKTiMHre2IyGxC2IWVCcyAKXHor2iWcbgkt6_Js/s1600/image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmj3C9IKhPRMjALOgzOYTbs1PirzNmHKee8kApw8U2LWMTCcu50swGBYKnM2-b4c4z4wyC_dQsR4I27WwCzQbMItHMcRyVKmiePNvnZKTiMHre2IyGxC2IWVCcyAKXHor2iWcbgkt6_Js/s400/image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639951004882482290" /></a>
<br /><i>C: You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel place. And you'll learn that, even if it hurts...Magic does not exist. Not for you, me or anyone else</i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-65391535915721419622011-08-09T17:22:00.003-04:002011-08-09T17:30:55.711-04:00Little More Lust, Little Less Caution<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_wx0-TgQSnO0T4jONY1UzyW8iw7DP3hZ7fWZeufWU0JLA5V2Rxzez10ASQsSel1etzv5Q39WWbyIwLorScZufvOU6XyOKFUBIEvUOWcW6b8kulJ9ek7fjSDyZx7SRX5esc3NOBvolUM/s1600/lc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_wx0-TgQSnO0T4jONY1UzyW8iw7DP3hZ7fWZeufWU0JLA5V2Rxzez10ASQsSel1etzv5Q39WWbyIwLorScZufvOU6XyOKFUBIEvUOWcW6b8kulJ9ek7fjSDyZx7SRX5esc3NOBvolUM/s320/lc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638971758369592098" /></a>
<br />In thinking about this week's director, I wonder if I should take my own advice and watch one of Ang Lee's films again. You see, I watched LUST, CAUTION back during the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival...early on a Sunday morning...where "half awake" would be a generous way to describe my mental state.
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<br />Along with being in a better mindset, my taste has changed in the last four years - so perhaps if I were to give it a rent now, I'd find that the pace and tone are in fact more in line with what I want in a film.
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<br />For better or worse, here's what I wrote back then...
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<br /><i>Ang Lee's movies are some of the most consistently best-looking films, and just about every time I watched one for the first time there was at least one "that's a great shot" moment. I didn't get that with LUST, CAUTION, so while it is shot well, it didn't strike me as visually interesting as some of Lee's other films like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN or THE ICE STORM. That said, I did enjoy the scenes that involved the four women conversing over their game of mah-jongg. It reminded me a lot of the scenes in EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN where the characters talk passionately as they cook...</i>
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<br />Check out the full post <a href="http://mcneilmatinee.blogspot.com/2007/10/review-lust-caution.html">here</a>.
<br />Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-91286678704141033252011-08-06T12:04:00.000-04:002011-08-06T12:04:00.422-04:00The Film Locker #10: Ang LeeEver get the feeling you're forgetting something? That's this week's Film Locker. Apologies for the slightly later than usual posting time folks but it's been busy times for Simon and I lately. Hopefully our discussion made things worth the wait, as we have a director whose filmography is short but distinguished for your today.<br /><br />It's Ang Lee's turn in the spotlight during episode ten, with special emphasis on his 2000 modern classic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.<br /><br /><object width='440' height='85'><param name='movie' value='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf'></param><param name='flashvars' value='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-08-06T09_01_10-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'></param><param name='allowscriptaccess' value='always'></param><embed src='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf' flashvars='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-08-06T09_01_10-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' width='440' height='85'></embed></object><br /><br />As usual, it is already up on <a href="itpc://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">itunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and can be found easily on </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podomatic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSS feed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.0 RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on </span><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yahoo</span></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Large Association of Movie Blogs" border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/dyjafi/bt_proud_g.jpg" /></span></a></div>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-79953662259164391102011-08-05T17:00:00.001-04:002011-08-05T17:00:04.366-04:00Episode 9 Scoreboard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0Yz5IsxDCbhABse_DkPUgpTpdA7UOGZKKzqw5xlqGcN-CR91DgrkYhiMc1bsVAEpzvHHMwdr2TAJqC97IdW_MPammMz5ASHPS7eNrgir5U86wr5G5vddH3Rie9iSek0QGEl6paMfxwE/s1600/trainspotting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0Yz5IsxDCbhABse_DkPUgpTpdA7UOGZKKzqw5xlqGcN-CR91DgrkYhiMc1bsVAEpzvHHMwdr2TAJqC97IdW_MPammMz5ASHPS7eNrgir5U86wr5G5vddH3Rie9iSek0QGEl6paMfxwE/s320/trainspotting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637445380053397234" /></a>The all star continues her dominance, but the lead remains a tight one.<br /><br />Rachel Thuro got in first again with Episode 9 trivia (which continues to stupify me given how inconvenient a time these episodes post for her. But Rhys stays in close with a second place pickup again this week. Three episodes left, the win still very much to be determined.<br /><br />Here are the results after nine rounds, with everyone's point pickup for this episode listed in parenthesis... <br /><br />Rachel Thuro 135 (+24)<br />Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 119 (+18)<br />Andrew Buckle 79 (+10)<br />Courtney Small 60 (0)<br />Duke 32 (0)<br />Alison 28 (+6) <br />Shane McNeil 18 (0)<br />Joel Burman 15 (0)<br />Jess Rogers 4 (0)<br />Andrew Robinson 3 (0)<br /><br />Hatter's Questions:<br />SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won all but two of the Oscars it was nominated for.<br /><br />Naomi Harris has been cast as Moneypenny in Bond 23.<br /><br />Robert Carlyle's character in THE BEACH is named after Daffy Duck.<br /><br />Simon's Questions:<br />ALIEN LOVE TRIANGLE was supposed to be part of a trilogy with MIMIC and THE IMPOSTER.<br /><br />Jim Cartwright wrote the scripts for Strumpet and Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise<br /><br />John Murphy has worked with Danny Boyle 5 times<br /><br /><i>Entries for Trivia close at noon EST on the Friday after the show; please email all answers to filmlocker@hotmail.com. The prize dvd/blu-ray can be worth a maximum $30 USD on Amazon.com </i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-61187957493390451082011-08-03T12:57:00.000-04:002011-08-03T12:57:41.508-04:00"Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" (Simon reviews TRAINSPOTTING)<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3txixOhKd7-GJaz748uXRn56W_AG5Tlz7tf1IT7K6ihf26etS7JMiIgon72Bd-N0bTMcqBfKd3z4vjY7eKjTirvMrYFx3RxV-2az2e9wjp0P0yybh7D51OtFeLyfSufGVjUn9tLkxe1n6/s400/trainspotting_renton.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3txixOhKd7-GJaz748uXRn56W_AG5Tlz7tf1IT7K6ihf26etS7JMiIgon72Bd-N0bTMcqBfKd3z4vjY7eKjTirvMrYFx3RxV-2az2e9wjp0P0yybh7D51OtFeLyfSufGVjUn9tLkxe1n6/s400/trainspotting_renton.gif" t$="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up - the already discussed <em>Trainspotting. </em></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I wrote this a while ago when I even managed to garner enough attention to have it put onto <a href="http://www.moviefanfare.com/fanfare-guests/trainspotting/">a different website too</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the time of writing, the use of music was prevalent in my mind as the soundtrack was released across two volumes and I had managed to hunt down both volumes - all with brilliant tracks on (well... say 60% at least). My full analysis include connections to the music and drug-movies of the time too because, I believe, <em>Trainspotting </em>came at a point whereby this was the indie-filmmakign thing to do ... just ask Doug Liman and Tom Twyker...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>"Based amongst the Edinburgh clubbing, drug scene, Boyle did state that he wanted the music to have a timeless quality to it - and so we have everything from Iggy Pop and Lou Reed through Pulp and Blur and out to Underworld and Leftfield spaning a time period from the 70's through to the 90's. A real fantastic selection of music. I could do a whole blog on the music alone. The use of Lust for Life by Iggy Pop is interesting as it is shown at start (Danny Boyles running-through-the-streets, fast-paced start ... we see it again in Slumdog Millionnaire, even Millions has the two kids running around the house being built around them during the opening credits) and also shown midway through, but with a different tone. What began as sneak-theives and petty-theft becomes, by the second time we see the same sequence with the same music, a sad situation, whereby we feel pity and hopelessness. They still can't kick the habit."</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the full review, </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/07/trainspotting-danny-boyle-1996.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">click here</span></a>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-57332681879522902622011-08-03T06:26:00.000-04:002011-08-03T06:26:39.337-04:00"I need to die misunderstood" (Simon reviews SHALLOW GRAVE)<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://cf1.imgobject.com/backdrops/027/4c8ed2e37b9aa17686000027/shallow-grave-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://cf1.imgobject.com/backdrops/027/4c8ed2e37b9aa17686000027/shallow-grave-poster.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, in more depth, an analysis of Danny Boyle's feature debut. Way back before Ewan McGregor was a Jedi and before Christopher Eccleston was Doctor Who, they both appeared in this film and - influenced by the Coen's <em>Blood Simple </em>with a touch of Hitchcock's <em>Psycho</em> ...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Its a bit strange because it destroys every ounce of good in each character - but they are a bit annoying anyway - but they become completely destroyed over the film. The first act sets all this up with chopping up the body finishing this section, the 'centre piece' is each character getting more a more confused (except Alex who just watches daytime TV and doesn't really give a shit) - David goes completely insane and begins to become a peeping-Norman Bates character. I reckon Psycho was an influence because, alongside the peeping holes thing, there is a shot which looks just like the Janet Leigh shot after the camera zooms out from the eye in the bathroom, post murder."</span></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/11/shallow-grave-danny-boyle-1994.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">click here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the full analysis ...</span></div>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-38641681084245841362011-08-01T17:27:00.002-04:002011-08-01T17:29:05.830-04:00FROM START TO FINISH (Simon reflect's on Danny Boyle's Back-Catalogue)<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/772/772907/Danny-Boyle_1173935373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/772/772907/Danny-Boyle_1173935373.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, if you haven't had enough after listening to the podcast, now is your chance to truly immerse yourself in what he has directed so far. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I wrote this a little while back, so there is very little coverage on <em>127 Hours </em>but this extensive coverage includes discussion on some of his lesser known films - <em>Millions, Strumpet </em>and <em>Vacuuming Completely Naked in Paradise</em>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was broken into four sections -</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2010/07/big-tamale-danny-boyle-part-1.html">Part 1: Shallow Grave through to A Life Less Ordinary</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2010/07/complete-collection-danny-boyle-part-2.html">Part 2: A Life Less Ordinary to The Beach</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2010/07/complete-collection-danny-boyle-part-3.html">Part 3: Strumpet to 28 Days Later...</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2010/07/complete-collection-danny-boyle-part-4.html">Part 4: Millions to 127 Hours</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Plenty more to come! So Check back during the week for more analysis and discussion!</span></div>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-76480615920072663742011-07-30T08:42:00.003-04:002011-07-30T08:47:35.238-04:00The Film Locker #9: Danny Boyle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-AAiwPeRD3ybXihDiX-4YsvPg6ielbd7fxo6edvdyHXjadhRC54qzfoS2Tnqnlju_wdaZwOK9R_PjKlpU5ZhlTm5yhmLE4GxlyLMYOsqEdtQJL8854e-oKBMWDtLRcaJ3tHP2kkqgA0/s1600/LockerLoop.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-AAiwPeRD3ybXihDiX-4YsvPg6ielbd7fxo6edvdyHXjadhRC54qzfoS2Tnqnlju_wdaZwOK9R_PjKlpU5ZhlTm5yhmLE4GxlyLMYOsqEdtQJL8854e-oKBMWDtLRcaJ3tHP2kkqgA0/s200/LockerLoop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635124981163801522" /></a>Y'all must have <i>known</i> this was coming. The man who is far & away Simon's favorite director is on tap today, and the discussion would test Simon's editing skills once again (this conversation went on for quite some time). Get ready for the Danny Boyle chapter of the locker, with feature discussion on his 1996 masterpiece TRAINSPOTTING.<br /><br /><object width='440' height='85'><param name='movie' value='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf'></param><param name='flashvars' value='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-07-29T16_00_54-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'></param><param name='allowscriptaccess' value='always'></param><embed src='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf' flashvars='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-07-29T16_00_54-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' width='440' height='85'></embed></object><br /><br />As usual, it is already up on <a href="itpc://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">itunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and can be found easily on </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podomatic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSS feed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.0 RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on </span><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yahoo</span></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Large Association of Movie Blogs" border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/dyjafi/bt_proud_g.jpg" /></span></a></div>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-43513158884755149812011-07-29T17:00:00.000-04:002011-07-29T17:00:00.181-04:00Episode 8 Scoreboard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHivu-2VwCP2dEkDD-LPgktU2_1Bw6tr2-aZvVvsnlaStlZlnuJ7THdy3JjSMX1Zxhc8sMSm33AvA7dXhkp6mm1_jbSdnN3aup0x2NbJk9_hzADlnZ6_hdX5K7TXj087-DAdwk-yJwC2c/s1600/H.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHivu-2VwCP2dEkDD-LPgktU2_1Bw6tr2-aZvVvsnlaStlZlnuJ7THdy3JjSMX1Zxhc8sMSm33AvA7dXhkp6mm1_jbSdnN3aup0x2NbJk9_hzADlnZ6_hdX5K7TXj087-DAdwk-yJwC2c/s320/H.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634841082845937282" /></a>She opened the door a crack two weeks ago - has she slammed it shut for good this round?<br /><br />Our series one all-star Rachel Thuro was top dog for Episode 8 trivia. Is it enough to propel her to the win once-and-for all? Four more chances at big points still loom, beginning tomorrow morning with Episode 9 kicking off the final quarter.<br /><br />Here are the results after eight rounds, with everyone's point pickup for this episode listed in parenthesis... <br /><br />Rachel Thuro 111 (+20)<br />Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 101 (+12)<br />Andrew Buckle 69 (0)<br />Courtney Small 60 (+12)<br />Duke 32 (0)<br />Alison 22 (+4) <br />Shane McNeil 18 (0)<br />Joel Burman 15 (0)<br />Jess Rogers 4 (0)<br />Andrew Robinson 3 (0)<br /><br />Hatter's Questions:<br />Oscar nominees cast in PUBLIC ENEMIES include Marion Cotillard, Carie Mulligan, Johnny Depp, and Christian Bale.<br /><br />Van Zandt's muscle in HEAT is played by rocker Henry Rollins.<br /><br />THE INSIDER concludes with Al Pacino's character Lowel Bergman breaking the story of Unibomber Ted Kaczynski's arrest.<br /><br />Simon's Questions:<br />DR. STRANGELOVE was the film that sparked Mann's interest in becoming a filmmaker.<br /><br />Michael Mann earned his graduate degree from London Film School.<br /><br />The first film to include digital exterior shots was COLLATERAL in 2004.<br /><br /><i>Entries for Trivia close at noon EST on the Friday after the show; please email all answers to filmlocker@hotmail.com. The prize dvd/blu-ray can be worth a maximum $30 USD on Amazon.com </i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-19272018516778363902011-07-28T18:01:00.001-04:002011-07-28T18:01:00.148-04:00"It's that or we both better go do something else" (Simon reviews HEAT)<a href="http://highlatencylife.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/heat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://highlatencylife.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/heat1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woah! And </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you thought we'd forgotten about Michael Mann. Not just yet ...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saved the best till last...</span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think it would be great to dwell on that perfect sequence in the coffee house between McCauley</span> and Hanna. It establishes so much without making anything too obvious. Vincent stating his stance "I will put you down", while McCauley doesn't even flinch to state where he stands that if Hanna gets in his way, he "will not hesitate ... not for a second". Its all over-the-shoulder shots, subjecting us to the intense stare of McCauley and the pseudo-laid back approach by Hanna. We feel every line, and are aware of the importance of every line stated. For many months now I have been collected older issues of Sight and Sound that regularly turn up at Kentish Town Oxfam (50p a pop is worth every penny!) and in one issue dated March 1996, there is an analysis of this sequence as we see Michael Mann's script notes on the sequence. The article notes how both characters are aware of the nature of time as luck and that life is short. Mann notes that Hanna, as a hunter, darts his eyes around getting every scrap of information on McCauley while they are together. Fascinating insight details that I would recommend anyone interested in the sequence."</span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can read much more detail and insight onto the same subject by <a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/09/heat-michael-mann-1995.html">clicking here</a>.</span>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-50989642543098959442011-07-28T12:56:00.004-04:002011-07-28T13:00:15.645-04:00Further On Up the Road (Looking Towards Episode 9)Been a quiet week in this space. Apologise for that to the fourteen of you who follow it. The reasons for the tumbleweeds are twofold:<br /><br />First, both Simon and I have had busy weeks socially (There's only so many hours in the day to blog, right?)<br /><br />Second, neither Simon nor I have a whole lot of content written about Mr. Mann to cross-post!<br /><br />Next week should bring more of what your used to, and of course the scoreboard will drop tomorrow afternoon. For the time being though, here's a clue to who is coming next...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcJpuD41jeERqqOj9YWyJST3Mmsqh-PEQh-plbadxpLdiEoqqJF1J_pDq7UaBRnl9mjvH8Q2LuPeJYinXIDQCXoJshpfIJKZ7LGgZDjHtk09T2NbZss0ftxCJq8kGDCjAS6JzWNj50oQ/s1600/H.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcJpuD41jeERqqOj9YWyJST3Mmsqh-PEQh-plbadxpLdiEoqqJF1J_pDq7UaBRnl9mjvH8Q2LuPeJYinXIDQCXoJshpfIJKZ7LGgZDjHtk09T2NbZss0ftxCJq8kGDCjAS6JzWNj50oQ/s400/H.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634448857431963538" /></a><br /><br /><i>SB: "Y'know, for a vegetarian...you're a fuckin' evil shot"</i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-59739498862973652832011-07-26T12:33:00.000-04:002011-07-26T12:33:51.909-04:00"Bye-bye, blackbird" (Simon reviews PUBLIC ENEMIES)<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_XNK4TgDZ0mtRQrBKaH6WSOOO9yG34qM79_vNdwRBlb-MIgDUNgvSDsw7dBLxGj_HNNIRQn_e61bzNC__i3a56ffAVKrZS-odNsD_7eCQGytIm0Nhf0h_n1xz4MMaNU_lwrX_wW_rfIE/s200/public-enemies-promo2.jpg" width="200" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had enough Public Enemies? I think not! In fairness, neither of us chose this film for our top shelf choice and it sure-as-hell wasn't our Michael-Mann focus point.<br />
<br />
But it is a brilliant film to extrapolate and discuss - so much so, that though Hatter reviewed it, so did I analyse a few factors to it. I started off one paragraph by mentioning the free paper the 'Metro' as it compared the film to the Michael-Mann bomb Miami Vice - <br />
<br />
<em>"Metro (a local free tabloid paper here in London - and Birmingham and Manchester ...) released a review today saying that the film was akin to 'Miami Vice'. This is absolutely untrue - while you struggled to follow the convuluted plot about drugs and 'the underground' and truth and fiction and what not in 'Miami Vice', the simple plot in 'Public Enemies' gives Mann space to focus on the characters themselves. In a nutshell - its Purvis trying to catch Dillinger - but the anti-hero edge to Dillinger, the persona Depp creates, makes you root for him - even though you know Billie's prophesizing his death is true, you cannot help but be upset at the expected showdown"Metro (a local free tabloid paper here in London - and Birmingham and Manchester ...) released a review today saying that the film was akin to 'Miami Vice'. This is absolutely untrue - while you struggled to follow the convuluted plot about drugs and 'the underground' and truth and fiction and what not in 'Miami Vice', the simple plot in 'Public Enemies' gives Mann space to focus on the characters themselves. In a nutshell - its Purvis trying to catch Dillinger - but the anti-hero edge to Dillinger, the persona Depp creates, makes you root for him - even though you know Billie's prophesizing his death is true, you cannot help but be upset at the expected showdown"<br />
</em>Read the full analysis by popping over to <a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/08/public-enemies-michael-mann-2009.html">Screen Insight by clicking here!</a><br />
<br />
<br />
For the full review, just </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/08/public-enemies-michael-mann-2009.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">click here</span></a></div>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-48937730377713225522011-07-25T05:24:00.000-04:002011-07-25T05:24:13.340-04:00"What keeps you up nights, Mr. Dillinger?" (Hatter reviews PUBLIC ENEMIES)<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/johnny-depp-as-john-dillinger-photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/johnny-depp-as-john-dillinger-photo-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember the pre-publicity for this. How could they get it wrong - depression-era Gangster film, Johny Depp playing Dillinger, Michael Mann direction. It was a sure-fire hit. All the pictures looked stunning and it was merely a question of whether the film would pay off on release. Then the reviews came in ... mixed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hatter wrote - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"However, patience is a virtue, and patient audiences will be rewarded as the second half of this movie really takes off. From the moment of the Dillinger/Nelson heist, director Michael Mann shifts the movie into a higher gear, and suddenly decides to deliver on the sexiness of the story. One of the highlights is an explosive gunfight at a rural Wisconsin Inn, which evokes memories of the downtown L.A. shootout in HEAT. Interestingly, it’s the last pure action scene in the movie. The rest of the way, Mann goes cat-and-mouse and lets the intriguing nature of the manhunt entertain the audience"</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Suffice to say, it was not as good as we expected and - in the first instance, Hatter wrote his semi-positive review. For the full review...</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> just <a href="http://mcneilmatinee.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-public-enemies.html">click here</a>.</span></div>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-54413426685215417652011-07-23T10:00:00.000-04:002011-07-23T10:02:59.508-04:00The Film Locker #8: Michael Mann<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkQVqAFnDE2y5nxwRWtZ993CPCNBH_KYJuz2N8xBLhfowmx3LpITlHgSn6qlcSfZea42Ch_0YzbWuORRKRbsel3dOwyHY8IGsWErcTNI7Rc4lxTr_I5vOIgeZeyad1BvT7B7bCpd-diA/s1600/LockerLoop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkQVqAFnDE2y5nxwRWtZ993CPCNBH_KYJuz2N8xBLhfowmx3LpITlHgSn6qlcSfZea42Ch_0YzbWuORRKRbsel3dOwyHY8IGsWErcTNI7Rc4lxTr_I5vOIgeZeyad1BvT7B7bCpd-diA/s200/LockerLoop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You ready for action? Good - because we have a modern master of shoot-em-up comin' at you today by way of Michael Mann. Mann has one of the shorter filmographies of our directors to date - and his last two films are especially tough sells - but when it comes to great human drama, action, and heist...there's little out there that can top HEAT.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Make sure you email the filmlocker [at] hotmail.com to enter the competition because that points race has gone neck-and-neck. At press time (10am EST on Saturday) nobody has emailed answers yet. 24 points worth of cheddar for the taking folks: Who wants it?<br /><br /> You can also email in if you want to simply expand on stuff we're talking about - we will endeavour to email you back!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, the blog itself is filmlocker.blogspot.com and it has access to lots more reading material on the directors we have discussed. Not sure how much new material we'll have on Mann this week, but do check in.</span><br /><br /><object width='440' height='85'><param name='movie' value='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf'></param><param name='flashvars' value='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-07-23T05_00_56-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'></param><param name='allowscriptaccess' value='always'></param><embed src='http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/swf/joeplayer_v18b.swf' flashvars='minicast=false&jsonLocation=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmlocker.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2011-07-23T05_00_56-07_00%26color%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' width='440' height='85'></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, as usual, it is already up on </span><a href="itpc://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">itunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and can be found easily on </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">podomatic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSS feed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.0 RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on </span><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://filmlocker.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yahoo</span></a><br /><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Large Association of Movie Blogs" border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/dyjafi/bt_proud_g.jpg" /></span></a></div>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-68010064082126032672011-07-22T17:00:00.000-04:002011-07-22T17:00:02.687-04:00Episode 7 Scoreboard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXndfZsvyNxkmiwSUSUEhI58fv3Ge6-bp8ZJ6lh-jhk-8Ew4XvSYx0YxUnAivJZJ8qGz13IZGhDBIe5Es5DA35FMKFpFXC6pklb7H5vbPPi86ho08FHTFtYW2J42tTRWcQsZ3a6BKkC-Q/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXndfZsvyNxkmiwSUSUEhI58fv3Ge6-bp8ZJ6lh-jhk-8Ew4XvSYx0YxUnAivJZJ8qGz13IZGhDBIe5Es5DA35FMKFpFXC6pklb7H5vbPPi86ho08FHTFtYW2J42tTRWcQsZ3a6BKkC-Q/s320/7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632212193130822594" /></a>Behind the scenes note about recording The Film Locker:<br /><br />Because of the time difference between Toronto and London, there are only so many windows of time that we can use to record the show. As such, we've been rolling very early on Sunday mornings (as in 7 or 8am). I say this, because being up early is the only reason I can offer for three questions out of six calling for the same answer.<br /><br />Oops.<br /><br />But ladies and gentlemen, we officially have ourselves a game! Rhys has all but closed the gap between himself and Mrs. Thuro, with young Andy Buckle within striking distance too. Four episodes left, and it's anybody's prize right now.<br /><br />Here are the results after seven rounds, with everyone's point pickup for this episode listed in parenthesis... <br /><br />Rachel Thuro 91 (+6)<br />Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 89 (+24)<br />Andrew Buckle 69 (+5)<br />Courtney Small 48 (+10)<br />Duke 32 (0)<br />Alison 18 (0) <br />Shane McNeil 18 (0)<br />Joel Burman 15 (+15)<br />Jess Rogers 4 (0)<br />Andrew Robinson 3 (0)<br /><br />Hatter's Questions:<br />Fincher's most nominated film is THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, with 13<br /><br />Fincher's best box office performer is THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, which took in $127M<br /><br />PANIC ROOM is the last Fincher film to come from an original script.<br /><br />Simon's Questions:<br />Elliot Goldenthal composed the score to ALIEN 3.<br /><br />THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON had Fincher's highest budget with $150M.<br /><br />The most recent video Fincher directed was "Only" by Nine Inch Nails.<br /><br /><i>Entries for Trivia close at noon EST on the Friday after the show; please email all answers to filmlocker@hotmail.com. The prize dvd/blu-ray can be worth a maximum $30 USD on Amazon.com </i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-31498434480379196062011-07-21T13:37:00.003-04:002011-07-21T13:43:05.940-04:00Further On Up the Road (Looking Towards Episode 8)In some ways, I'm sorry to see this week end as Fincher seemed to be our most popular episode yet (take that declaration with a grain of salt). But time marches on and this week we move into the final quarter of the series.<br /><br />Some clues about who we'll be talking about this weekend...<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrOfgGf8YGYQna2EP1gsC2OJOoJqF0JC0Sa66VdjT81zhZMuiMN6dxzFFxD68PkcCj4cnLedJFcnlTpKlYNGez0mMNp4n86tCk2DkJI0zIX1a2jStQ9rPkgPu18ZNdzvOytCE1YV60E4/s1600/locker8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrOfgGf8YGYQna2EP1gsC2OJOoJqF0JC0Sa66VdjT81zhZMuiMN6dxzFFxD68PkcCj4cnLedJFcnlTpKlYNGez0mMNp4n86tCk2DkJI0zIX1a2jStQ9rPkgPu18ZNdzvOytCE1YV60E4/s320/locker8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631862213048284706" /></a></center><br /><i>DC: You recognize the MO? <br /><br />VH: M.O.? Is that they're good... Once it escalated into a murder one beef for all of 'em after they killed the first two guards, they didn't hesitate. Pop guard number three because... what difference does it make? Why leave a living witness? Drop of a hat these guys will rock and roll...</i>Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-18146074826344535072011-07-20T12:00:00.000-04:002011-07-20T12:00:09.494-04:00"...And He Still Has Hell to Look Forward To" (Hatter Talks SE7EN)This one is a tad redundant, because in many ways I said most of what I needed to say about SE7EN during the Fincher episode. Still, it might make for a good read.<br /><br />A few months ago I was taking part in a series that was slowly going through the 1001 Essential Films list and posting about them. This post came from that series, where I mulled over the film fifteen years after its release, and considered its status as an "essential" film.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtY05-aW9CFTu5bbwXRoj_Mi8Q13NSBQ2XPDWH2sWdwJi0FxfTHeRGplaLE3i8DO67E56byB0svvIb0R0RiKl8ZT2KLdXZuKjb-vEA0fJ2nPuFF6lY6jBmz6V3KtTt1UFCtmWZXpwA5Pc/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtY05-aW9CFTu5bbwXRoj_Mi8Q13NSBQ2XPDWH2sWdwJi0FxfTHeRGplaLE3i8DO67E56byB0svvIb0R0RiKl8ZT2KLdXZuKjb-vEA0fJ2nPuFF6lY6jBmz6V3KtTt1UFCtmWZXpwA5Pc/s320/7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631424456691138786" /></a><i>The events of SE7EN do indeed feel like a slow descent into hell. Perhaps the hardest things about this journey is where it leaves us. The case builds to it's painful conclusion...and then ends after a quick nod. The film kicks us as hard as it can square in the gut. Then as we're left on our hands and knees puking in the gutter, the film basically walks away and waves goodbye, leaving us to try and collect ourselves as best we can...</i><br /><br />Check out the full post <a href="http://mcneilmatinee.blogspot.com/2010/02/back-to-basics-se7en.html">here</a>.Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-75416874774477544322011-07-19T12:00:00.000-04:002011-07-19T12:00:05.982-04:00"I'm Seven...But I Look a Lot Older" (Simon reviews THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)We didn't really plan it this way (perhaps I did subliminally), but Simon and I spent a lot of time during the podcast talking about THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.<br /><br />This is the Fincher film that seems to get wailed on the most these days. Truthfully I wasn't totally fussed about it when I first saw it either, but subsequent watches have led to me appreciating it an awful lot more.<br /><br />Simon, on the other hand, remains unconvinced...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjiYDM70iHTJUaCQEseTeLZ4R65Lk-aN8usjPgUi4TV6ukCds0-WIJT5Bw-6N8Thk0a-BD28pF5sg5yfOzfT8UG3-cf9x7FSpyTe-4y2gX15VcKkHi7WFS42WsNEbSNV-DAjQfgFe4PY/s1600/button.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjiYDM70iHTJUaCQEseTeLZ4R65Lk-aN8usjPgUi4TV6ukCds0-WIJT5Bw-6N8Thk0a-BD28pF5sg5yfOzfT8UG3-cf9x7FSpyTe-4y2gX15VcKkHi7WFS42WsNEbSNV-DAjQfgFe4PY/s320/button.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631061537417529602" /></a><i>This is really quite a film. The special effects are flawless - and showing the range of ages of Benjamin and Daisy does look quite smooth and in no way affects the watching-of-the-film. Basically, these groundbreaking effects, do not interrupt the narrative. The narrative has enough problems...</i><br /><br />Check out his entire review <b><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/06/curious-case-of-benjamin-button-david.html">here</a></b>.Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-90650727829577685732011-07-19T08:00:00.001-04:002011-07-19T09:56:54.346-04:00Little Miss Can't Be WrongSometimes it doesn't take much to make a pair of podcasters smile. You see we try to reach a broad audience...not wanting to seem too elitest, or too lowbrow...whether or not we find this sweet spot is a question I can't answer.<br /><br />But then we get emailed a photo like this, where we learn that our audience skews a bit younger than we first thought...<br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc68iS5R8Onu6B-FOdQUSMNzBj4To9rzoaFgsBl5_SDja88zE1-sUs7V8XlCYL4m6ohvVj4qmhRG1A0enEA4Tfxpo57zc9DBbCHolsQMuhGpUVdhq5y9JOm0-Td__loN_Ybhz0WUhNEE0/s1600/Mia.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc68iS5R8Onu6B-FOdQUSMNzBj4To9rzoaFgsBl5_SDja88zE1-sUs7V8XlCYL4m6ohvVj4qmhRG1A0enEA4Tfxpo57zc9DBbCHolsQMuhGpUVdhq5y9JOm0-Td__loN_Ybhz0WUhNEE0/s400/Mia.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630764166489685026" /></a></center><br /><br />That'd be young Mia, daughter of faithful listener Rachel Thuro. Seems as though this cherub saw her mom listening to The Film Locker on her iPod and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.<br /><br />As it turns out, Mia was unimpressed with our handiwork. She's not a fan of David Fincher and thinks Simon and I are plebes for going seven episodes without even hinting at The French New Wave.Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-34786508266802195612011-07-18T12:17:00.004-04:002011-07-18T12:32:33.120-04:00"Know What's Cooler Than a Million Dollars?" (Hatter Settles The Social Network/Citizen Kane Debate)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDsSteZhvUv968V5whsLj7F0uz7FxHBP96VQP1Z9I7slesgFBkNPIzGt0lq2GIpG-p2MHPp825s1JYeLtG074om8FqHSi9_T2cH6BcLer-uvbfY69CR5knHMWBVGbus7ytcugfgDKkzI/s1600/CKTSN.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDsSteZhvUv968V5whsLj7F0uz7FxHBP96VQP1Z9I7slesgFBkNPIzGt0lq2GIpG-p2MHPp825s1JYeLtG074om8FqHSi9_T2cH6BcLer-uvbfY69CR5knHMWBVGbus7ytcugfgDKkzI/s320/CKTSN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630730036035831570" /></a><br />I took some flak earlier this year when I stuck my neck out and made a declaration. So what better way to celebrate the David Fincher episode than by going back to that glorious debate.<br /><br />Some of you might recall, that last autumn when THE SOCIAL NETWORK was setting the moviegoing world on fire to a certain extent, there were some who had the audacity to call it "CITIZEN KANE for a New Generation".<br /><br />That's heresey for a film lover like me, and it prompted me to take a long hard look at both films...<br /><br /><i>Kane’s fate is far more tragic. As the newsreel tells us, the man outlived his power. At his peak, he was raking in a fortune, ran a news syndicate that was influential, and stood on a political precipice that included him being poised to be governor, with the American presidency within sight. He lost it all, because for Kane power wasn’t enough. He always felt some gaping hole that only love could fill, but it had to be love on his terms...</i><br /><br />Check out the full <a href="http://mcneilmatinee.blogspot.com/2011/01/poor-little-rich-boy-citizen-kane-vs.html">post here</a>.Ryan McNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440134802928893661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3676747447122378129.post-56704914103981314712011-07-18T12:14:00.000-04:002011-07-18T12:14:48.843-04:00"She Just Up And Ran Away" (Simon reviews WHO IS IT? Music Video)<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4473566556_bce2115fcf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" m$="true" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4473566556_bce2115fcf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a huge, self-confessed, Michael Jackson fan. I have all his albums and DVD's - even that special box set with DVD on one side and the original single on the other side. He was a God among men. I even had tickets to the <em>This Is It </em>concert at the O2 before he died. Though I didn't pay £75 for a ticket stub - I got a refund. I'm not a complete mug.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At any rate, Michael Jackson's music videos attracted the best in the industry - not only do we note David Fincher with <em>Who Is It? </em>but also </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/06/bad-martin-scorsese-1987.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Martin Scorsese working on <em>Bad </em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(the full length version) and </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/08/they-dont-care-about-us-spike-lee-1997.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spike Lee on the two versions of <em>They Don't Really Care About Us</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Because he worked with the best, often his music videos had much more depth than many people thought. I wrote it a while back - so some of the statements are false (namely my, at-the-time, lack of knowledge of Cronenberg), but I still manage to mention the director within the conetxt of MJ's video:</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm going to mention two directors whom I know little of - David Lynch and David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Cronenberg</span>. The shiny cars, the shiny walls, the mysterious hooded woman ... am I right? I watched <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Cronenberg's</span> 'Crash' years ago and - obviously - due to the nature of the film (eroticism and cars) it relied heavily on the metallic sheen of vehicles, so this did seem to recall that but 'Crash' ... Throughout the video, we often see a face emerge from flat, clean surfaces and this is completely surreal so that might be the link - Lynch and his Surrealism."</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read the entire post by </span><a href="http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2009/06/who-is-it-david-fincher-1992.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clicking here</span></a>simoncolumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027922399726786918noreply@blogger.com0